Darlene (Bryant) Blythe

Rebecca "Darlene" Bryant Blythe, age 62, of Pilot Mountain, passed away peacefully at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC on July 3, 2021, surrounded by her loving daughter, family, and friends. Darlene was born November 25th, 1958, on Thanksgiving Day. She was the proud daughter of James Arnold and Rachel Virginia Goins Bryant. Left behind to cherish her memory are her daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly Bree and Wade Miller. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Darlene was a woman of faith who valued a strong work ethic and caring for others. As an entrepreneur, she owned and operated a local convenience store and grill, Smokin D’s, for over 20 years. She loved more than anything working in her yard, gardening, canning, and her dog, Candy. She was also the most loving, nurturing, and resilient mother her daughter could have ever asked for and will be missed beyond words.

In addition to her daughter and son-in-law, she is survived by her uncle James “JD” Goins and wife Wilma of Mount Airy, along with too many cousins to name, but whom she loved dearly. She was also preceded in death by uncles Howard “Shorty” Bryant, Tom Goins, Winfred Goins, Alvin Goins, and Rev. Lee Goins, as well as aunts Lavinia Smith and Ruth Arrington.

A funeral service will be held Friday, July 9, 2021 at 11:00 AM in the Cox-Needham Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Tony Goins and the Rev. Darrell Price will be officiating. Interment will follow at Skyline Memory Gardens in Mount Airy, NC.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Carolinas Medical Center for their impeccable and compassionate care of Darlene throughout her illness, as well as her doctor for over 25 years, Dr. Kenneth Coggins of the Jan & Ed Brown Center for Pulmonary Medicine. They would also like to acknowledge the many friends and neighbors who came together to help her and her family, and who also inspired hope and reaffirmed her faith through their kind words and selfless actions.

Flowers are appreciated, though memorials are warmly welcomed for Hospitality House of Charlotte or the Jan & Ed Brown Pulmonary Medicine Advancement Fund through the Atrium Health Foundation.

Cox-Needham Funeral Home is respectfully serving the Blythe family. Online condolences may be made at www.coxneedham.com .

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